Ss c T. VIII. TheGodly are Wa/hedai 367 theiropinions theydeny Chrilt tobe God ; but,chou by chy ungodly eftions dot} alfo deny hisGod-head. Thou abhorrelt the Atheift, who faith, There it no God: yetall the wickedneíle thoucommitteftBeth really fay, There is no Cod: Therefore what doe we regard thy words, and thy Sacraments, or thy profeaì n, when we fee thy deeds?Make thy life clean, wafh thy foul converfanon, and thenmake nay re- ligious approaches to God. IfI regard iniquity inmy heart (faith David) the Lord willnothear my prayer. The cryof thy finneswill beabove the cry of thy prayers; know then, asevery tree is tryed by its fruit, fo thy a Lions chfcern what thou arr. Make never fo many zealous prayers, come never fo frequentlyto Church,yet it in the weekday God findes Oaches, Drunkenneffe, Prophancncffe in thy life ;,this is a reali denying of him, Sixtly,`iherefare theydelude tbemfelves in this weighty 6uftnefe,brcanfe tbe, under- !andnot the nature offaith and trnííing in God. Come unto the vdeft of men, when deathsflroak is upon them, when the fear of that furrounds them, even then though full oftheir finnes,yetwill fay,They eruftin Chrift jefat th ybelieve in fhm. Butoh thou ignorant man ; what is it to believe, and to craft in him ? Is it not out of the fenfeof thebitteruefs offin,and a deliberate forfakingof it,.obedientiallyre= ligning upour felves toChriftscommands,and therewith relyingcn Chrdtthe Me- diator, is not this tobelieve? Doth not the fame faith,which withone hand recei- veth Cheift, with another purifie the foul, and carry itout toall the fruits ,of righ- teoufnefs:prefumption indeed that is eafie;to lay hold upon Chriá for pardon,with anhand ful ofwickednefs this is ordinary:but to craft in him according to Scripture direétion, and that order which God hack inviolably prefcnbed men, that is rare. Faith therefore is the giftof God, and it is wrought by his Spirit in us ; we can no more dole withChrill, in a true Scripture- manner, as a Saviour, or the Promifes revealed byGod, than we canjoyn with himas a Law-giver, or obey his Precepts. If therefore thou underftoodlt the Nature of nutting in God, and what it is to believe, thou woutdit not foeafily perfwadethy felt thoudolt croft in him, when thy Confcience tells thee of thy manifold finnes. Hence thegodly have found it fo difficult to believe : theyhave been almoft over- whelmed withdoubts and fears ; thoughChrift hack held out the Scepter of grace to them, yet they haveeven fair.- ted through fear and flume, when they came intohis pretence. How frequently BothDavidcall uponhis foul, to trnitin God, andwait on him ? Pfal,42. S. Where- as this carnal preluttiptionfindes no oppoficionat all. Confider of all thefe grounds which doe fo often delude thee, and they may doe Ghee infinite good. life of Admonition, 7o callyour [elves to aflriíl account ; confider boo, your vii fle chri[lian faithandnncbritlian praelifes can fland together, hots your Religion and your converfationcan accordc Theone is Honey, the other is Gall, the oneis Light, the other is Darkneffe. How is it poflible you Ihould fafl,intoEach palpableandab- furd concradiftions. O deceivenot your felves any longer, think not it will be well as long as thole fins are unrepenced, and unreformed. Be not deceived, faith the A- politeto all facia, when you have to doe with men ; ifthey profeffe much kindneffe and obfervanceof you, yet in all their aftions they work you all the defpight and mifchief they can. Doe yenot call them Hypocrites, and fay, Ritaverba? What are Words; when I feeyour deeds to thecontrary ? Dothnot God from heaven fay the fame things toyou; To what purpofe is your hearing, and praying, your pro- fefíioca of love tome, when all your deeds favor of hatred and rebellion againft me ? Now to quicken thee against this tell dolufion and felf dcftruEiion, con- hder; Fitt, Thee Godreilnot be mocked; for fofaith the Apoftle, Be not deceived,God Willmar hemocked, Gal. 6.7. All thy Religion,all thy holy duties, withouta fasftia fication of thy life, is but a meet mockery of God ; for what canbe agreater mockery than this, to cry out of thy finnes here, andto commit then) when thou comelt home? To fay here, Lord let thywill be done,even asAngeis inheavendo it and thenat home to obey it no more than Devils in Hell. Oh confider, this is Mocking
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